Jeffrey M. Bodin: 2022 candidate for Kane County Sheriff
Bio
Party: Republican
Office sought: Kane County Sheriff
City: Sugar Grove
Age: 38
Occupation: Kane County Sheriff's deputy
Previous offices held:
Q&A
Q: Why are you running for office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?
A: Ron Hain touts an 89% reduction in opiate overdose deaths from former inmates, a 16% reduction in crime, and cutting the Jail population in half. Since Ron became Sheriff in 2018 Opiate overdose deaths countywide are up 27%, Murders have doubled, and shootings countywide are up. COVID, Judges allowing serious offenders out of jail for $0 bail, and the current state's attorney refusing Felony Charges are what reduced the jail population. Ron also is pushing pre arrest diversion programs for felonies and no Cash bail. The offenses that offenders can be let out of jail on $0 dollars will be burglary, robbery, arson, kidnapping, 2nd degree murder, aggravagted DUI, and many more.
Ending political favors and abuse of power is a priority for me.
Q: If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the position and what would your priority be?
A: All Kane County schools should have trained and armed auxiliary deputies or retired police officers to keep our children safe. It would have been better for the federal government to pay for salaries for 87,000 school resource officers instead of IRS agents. The idea is to get qualified people to donate 4 or 8 hours a month to protect our kids, and maybe the government will fund the $6-7 Billion per year it would cost to have SROs in every school in the country. We spent 8 Trillion dollars in the Middle East, we should be able to spend a few billion a year to keep our children safe. I will donate 8 hours a month to protect a Kane County school where there is no armed SRO. All Kane County residents' Constitutional and Civil Rights are also very important and that will be a priority for me. I will also establish ten hour shifts within 60 days to have a minimum of 10 deputies on the street 24 hours a day and a minimum of 18 deputies on patrol between 2-4pm when schools let out.
Q: Are there enough deputies on the street and are they properly deployed? What changes would you make?
A: The current staffing for patrol is insufficient and unsafe for the public and the deputies. The current administration has allowed a 6 deputy minimum for 65,000-70,000 people. Ron Hain will tell you having a Sgt and on occasion a Lt staffed makes it 8 deputies, but when the Sgt and Lt are sitting at the office in St. Charles for more than half the shift, they aren't readily available. I will implement ten hour shifts and will have a minimum of 10 patrol cars actually on the street 24 hours a day, at no extra cost, by shifting some staff. There will be 18-22 deputies on patrol between 2 and 4 p.m. when schools let out and there will also be 18-22 deputies on patrol between 8 p.m.-midnight.
Q: What role should the sheriff's office play in dealing with the county's opioid crisis?
A: I'm in favor of policing that gets drugs off the streets while not violating peoples rights. IF we had strong families, a strong economy and the government didn't allow tens of millions of jobs to be sent overseas over the last few decades would all of these citizens be looking to drugs? The federal government has been doing a terrible job of allowing drugs into the country by leaving the borders wide open. We can still have immigration without allowing millions of kilograms of drugs into the country. in 2016 the Customs and Border Patrol intercepted 240,000 Kilograms coming into the country. Everyone needs to realize that local, state, and federal law enforcement only intercept about 5-10% or less of drugs coming into the country. It seems like 50 years of the fighting this drug war hasn't worked. Maybe its time to label drug manufactures of hard drugs, terrorists?
Q: What is your stance on the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act?
A: Everyone I believe is in favor of holding police accountable. I am not in favor of "no cash bail" as offenders can be let out a few hours later for $0 for committing burglary, robbery, 2nd degree murder, arson, kidnapping, aggravated DUI, selling drugs and many more offenses. Offenders currently in county jails for serious offenses will be let out of jail shortly after January 1st 2023. Also there is an issue with Trespassing. With the new law my understanding is Police can not remove trespassers for a class B misdemeanor from businesses and other property. The offender has to be cited and given a court date.